Commercially available insecticides for home and professional use, commonly include active ingredients which are poisonous to not only the target insect, but also humans and household pets, when exposed in high enough concentrations, or in confined spaces. Adverse side effects or intoxication may occur, and may be exacerbated in more sensitive persons, or persons with reduced body mass, such as children.
There have been efforts to develop insecticides, particularly those that are intended for home use, which are effective in controlling targeted insects, but are non-toxic to humans and pets. Unfortunately, non-poisonous insecticides have not demonstrated real efficacy. They may be cost-prohibitive, inadequately lethal to the targeted insects, or too slow-acting.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates the use of potentially toxic ingredients in pesticidal compositions under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act in the United States. Certain materials considered to be either active or inert materials by the EPA have been deregulated or otherwise identified as acceptable “safe” substances offering minimum risk in normal use. Other materials are currently undergoing investigation and may be deregulated in due course. Deregulated substances are generally considered non-toxic by the consumer. Thus, the term “non-toxic” as used herein is intended to convey a composition that, while highly effective in killing targeted insect pests, is safe to use around humans, particularly small children, and pets. Essential oils are deregulated by the EPA, and include cornmint oil, cedar oil, cinnamon oil, citronella oil, clove oil, corn oil, garlic oil, lemongrass oil, linseed oil, peppermint oil, rosemary oil, soybean oil and thyme oil.
Another indicator of non-toxicity is the designation “generally regarded as safe” or GRAS by the United States Food and Drug Administration. These ingredients may not meet usual test criteria for safety, but have been extensively used and have not demonstrated any harm to consumers.